My Letter to Savannah Guthrie

Photo via Today Show

Savannah,

You and I don't know each other. But I feel like I do know you. You see, when I was home on maternity leave, struggling with life with a newborn and postpartum depression, I looked forward to seeing your face every morning on the Today show. You and I have some physical similarities (hair and eye color) and in many ways I saw myself in you. Happy, outgoing, intelligent...  You represented what I no longer felt I was, but gave me hope that someday I could get back to being that person. 

I am back to work and can no longer watch the Today show. When I heard you were pregnant and getting married (I was also pregnant at my wedding), my heart leapt with joy. I followed your pregnancy journey, often read your blog, waiting the arrival of your little one. 

Yesterday, when I heard the news that baby Vale had arrived, I was ecstatic. I quickly searched my Facebook News Feed for pictures, and I was surprised and ecstatic at what I saw. Rather than so many pictures we see of new moms with their babies, hair perfectly styled, makeup done to perfection, there was your beautiful, natural face beaming while holding your baby girl. No makeup, no hair style, just a baby and her beautiful mama. 

I don't know if you posted those beautiful, au natural pictures consciously or not, but please know that you have made a difference by doing so. You have shown new mothers that they are beautiful, no matter what, and they should capture those moments without concern for how they look in the photos. That they are beautiful inside and out. 

As a fellow mommy with insecurities of my own, I thank you for what you did. Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl. These next few months will be some of the best and hardest you will face, but enjoy it, because it sure does go fast. Try to get some sleep :)

Love, 

Christine